A human being uses the hands for a large number of activities. However, for several reasons, there is the need towards systems for assisting and supporting the function of the hands.
One of the most common reasons derives from the existence of medical conditions, such as fractures, arthritis and muscular problems, among others, which hinder or restrict the patient when using the hands for normal activities.
Another reason arises from the requirement of the task meant to be undertaken. In a situation of stress, either from professional activities or sports events, the hand may limit the performance.
Finally, the use of systems to provide assistance to the function of the hand may result in a reduction of the effort and consequent increase of comfort.
Currently, some systems provide assistance and support in some of these situations.
These may be simple systems, such as padded gloves, aiming at providing greater assistance and resistance to the hand.
They may also be more complex systems using artificial tendons, often as flexible and resilient wires, which are attached to the fingers of a glove, usually to all five fingers. In the opposite end to the finger, these artificial tendons are connected to electric motors that move, push and pull, tendons.
As these systems use motors to pull and/or push artificial tendons or structures attached to the user's finger, this means that the opening and closing range of the hand is controlled by the motor. There are several models, but all use at least one motor, typically electric.
The use of a motor to move fingers has several drawbacks.                the motor needs to be powered, typically with batteries, which not only involves a high energy consumption and the use of large batteries and/or low-powered motors but also prevents or limits the sport and everyday use of these systems;        motors, typically more than one, turn systems more expensive. These systems are complex and bulky and are used to assist medical problems mainly in medical centers. Some use backpacks to integrate the components, are very expensive systems, and are also incompatible with the normal use of the hand.        
In practice, hand support systems are complex, cumbersome and add volume which prevents the normal use of the hand.
The following documents disclose some prior art solutions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,538,488 discloses a glove to exercise the fingers, within which, supports for the tips of each finger are provided.
The invention comprises several cables tensioned with springs and, by means of an adjustment system, it allows creating the desired resistance to the closing movement of the hand. The glove is fixed by means of a wrist strap.
The glove referenced in this document aims only at exercising the fingers. Thus, tensioned cables shall solely act in order to exert an adjustable force on the fingers.
EP2417941A1 discloses a glove for movement assistance which includes a portion for the insertion of fingertips and linear elements along the fingers which are configured from a mechanism for transmitting the force required for the extension or contraction movement of the fingers. The solution also includes a component for detecting biological signals that are used by the control component and a data display.
This document focuses on how the motor operates on the elements arranged in the glove fingers. The fact that it needs an electrical motor to pull or push the elements placed in the glove fingers translates in an elevated power consumption and a reduced limit of the exerted force. Additionally, due to the existence of these elements in the fingers, the glove will always be more voluminous, less discreet and more intrusive in the user activities.
WO2008/027002A1 discloses a glove used for strengthening the hand grip movement which includes the fingers of the glove containing an artificial tendon on each side extending along the inner side of the glove, a support on the fingertip, a strength detection sensor, actuators and a control unit determining the strength exerted on the artificial tendons based on the strength detected by the sensor thus leading the finger to bend.
This document focuses primarily on how the wires pass through the glove, since disclosing a motor that pulls the wire corresponding to the finger in order to assist the movement of the finger.
In general, systems known in the art act on the user's limbs, in some cases actively moving the user's fingers.